San Antonio Spurs 94, Utah Jazz 82: Best. Start. Ever.

Finally, a scoreline that looks more Spur-like. Not that I don’t appreciate a good offensive kick.

Short recap for this game because it’s a back-to-back and I’ve got to get my rest for tonight. In fact, let’s do this bullet-style.

The silver and black have won nine games in a row and sit now at a franchise-best 10-1. RC Buford and Manu Ginobili talked before the season about how the team wanted to start stronger this year, but Coach Pop kind of squashed that notion, stating that the team doesn’t try to start slow, and they’re not trying to start better. Which is true, with the exception of Wednesday night against Chicago, the players aren’t playing heavy minutes like they do playoff time. Nor do they seem to play with a late-season sense of urgency. They’re simply executing better early in the season. What we’re seeing right now could be the result of so many players coming to San Antonio early and working out together / playing pick-up games at the practice facility before training camp started.

Tim Duncan is now the Spurs all-time leading NBA scorer. Not overall, mind you. George Gervin is still the franchise’s top scorer if you combine ABA and NBA numbers, which the team is not doing. Still congratulations are deserved. Sekou Smith of NBA.com has a good Duncan Appreciation Day piece you should read today.

Milk carton: Tiago Splitter. No tick at all last night against the Jazz. Second game in a row that Splitter hasn’t appeared. I expect that to endÂ tonightÂ against the Cleveland Cavaliers, what with the whole back-to-back thing and the Cavs being extremely mediocre. But it is curious that Splitter has all of a sudden fallen out of favor. With Bonner coming back, I expected Antonio McDyess would’ve been the one to see his minutes drop until after the cold weather passes through South Texas.

Richard Jefferson shot 3-8 last night, so his hot start has subsided a bit. But he’s still getting to the free throw line, which is good. That should be a consistent thing, while shooting can come and go. RJ finished with 11 points. Last season, a 3-8 night would’ve resulted in seven or eight points. It’s also interesting, watching the interview Duncan gave on NBATV last night, how they always refer to what Richard Jefferson does as “what we ask of him.” Just an interesting choice of words is all. I don’t remember it put like that for any of the other players and I feel like I hear it of Jefferson a lot.

The Jazz have been the top home side team over the last few seasons, while Spurs have been the top road club. Always nice to steal a win in Salt Lake City.

Utah shot just a shade under 42%. That’ll please Pop.

I love watching how Tim Duncan uses the backboard, and I’m not talking about his typical bank shot. There was a play in the first half last night when either Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson (don’t remember which) had rebounding position on Duncan. Duncan reached over with one arm (which isn’t over the back, it’s usually called over the back if you reach over with two arms) and tipped the ball off the backboard with enough power to ricochet over the Jazz player to himself. Then he laid it in beautifully with no opposition. Just a fantastic play.

All Spurs starters on the good side of the +/-, all Jazz starters on the bad side. All Spurs reserves on the negative side, all but one Jazz sub on the positive side. Good thing the starters play most of the game.

That’s enough from this one. Cavs at home tonight.

td4life

Things started to improve substantially against the 76ers, and these last 3 wins have shown us a lot. I would love to see Splitter’s minutes go up of course, but Dice is clearly our second best big right now, and probably in the playoffs, meanwhile we can expect Bonner to be inconsistent. But this is what we will probably see a lot of: reduced minutes by the bench against better competition, bigger roles and breakout games against lesser teams.

RJs aggression has made even his poor shooting nights decent scoring nights this year. I never expected him to keep up his amazing shooting start, however I think we’ll continue to see him get to the line all year.

I’m amazed every year at how good TD still is. Right now his shooting efficiency is down a bit, but everything else is right up there and he’s been amazing on the boards. Gotta love him.

Titletown99030507

What the hell is Pop doing? That moron waits 3 years to get Tiago here and then he sits him. Nice Pop. He sure knows how to screw up someones confidence. Look at Haislip, Gee, Jerells no playing time for none of them and look where they ended up. Lot’s of talent and athleticism down the drain. What’s worse Bonner comes back and he gives him premium playing time. Yeah he makes a record 7- 3 pointers but that’s a fluke it wont happen again and add pitiful defensive play to that every game he’s played so far.. Tiago is way better on the defensive side and hey isn’t that what Pop’s motto is? Isn’t more playing time the remedy for someone who couldn’t play the pre-season because of an injury. Give me a break if 3 early fouls he got 3 games ago is the reason Pop isn’t playing Tiago well how do explain Bonner? He’s notorious for that and he still plays. Bonner got ate up on the glass the last 2 games. Damn coach your head is screwed on wrong. How do explain getting rid of Jerells and Gee and bring in that little dude I’ve never heard of. Are these favors Pop is doing for close friends? This man is starting to loose it. And before any of you start replying with were 10-1. Yeah 10-1 because of a lot a shots the other teams are bricking in the closing moments. It’s not as rosey as you think people. Shore up the front court with Tiago so that when the time comes to play LA he’ll be NBA ready. Crap the man has spent 9 years playing Euro rules. It takes time to get adjusted and time is now! If he gets traded or let go and ends up with Gasol in La Pop would end up being the biggest idiot this side of the south Texas. He’ll look who he’s let go. I don’t get it Gee gone and Green is picked up? At least Gee knew the system well and really only needed minutes. Now this Tiago fiasco? Really coach what’s eating you with Tiago?

CED254

@titletown. Idiot Pop knows what he is doin. The SPURS are 10-1

quincyscott

Well, Pop has four rings, and we are 10 and 1 at the moment, so he must not be a complete moron. If anyone is getting too much playing time right now, it’s Blair if you ask me. Still way too many mistakes and turnovers from Blair. Maybe Pop feels like he only wants one developing post player at a time in these games.

It’s a long season. Tiago is not a Gee or a Jerells. He’ll get his chances to be a valuable part of the lineup this year. Let’s not call for Pop’s head just yet.

andy

fiasco? overreact much?

“I love watching how Tim Duncan uses the backboard, and Iâ€™m not talking about his typical bank shot.”

honestly, i think that might’ve been my favorite play of the game. tim absolutely, positively awes me in his efficient, cerebral… i daresay creative approach to playing. it reminded me of the kobe pass to himself off the backboard. simpler, but still brilliant and with little wasted motion.

LPspursFan

@ titletown

dude…it’s an 82 game schedule…plenty of time to work Tiago in. Right now I bet it’s more match-ups than anything. And if Pop was religiously making sure Tiago got his minutes and we lost a couple of close games, would the team be better off? I don’t think so. Say what you will, but 10-1 is 10-1. As for Haislip, Gee and Jerrells, you saw the rush of other NBA teams lining up to sign these guys after they got cut, right? LOL!! Keep up the good work Pop!

bduran

“Yeah 10-1 because of a lot a shots the other teams are bricking in the closing moments”

I agree, if it wasn’t for last second misses we’d never be winning by 8.3 points a game. Excellent point.

mikrobass3

here’s a thought about tiago: we’ve seen manu and tp suffer during nba seasons partly due to playing highly competitive international leagues in the nba offseasons. we’ve also seen them have a terrific start this year, when they passed on the international competition this nba offseason.

tiago has already played quite a bit this calendar year on another continent–about 60 games total. he also started out this nba season injured.

could it be that he is purposefully being rested until, say january or february? sounds like it’s a good idea to me, if the record holds up until then…especially if we need him to contribute in april.

best start ever. best. start. ever.

Francesco

Best thing out of this game was seeing Duncan still being effective from the low post.
That’s what we’ll need come playoff time.
No low post threat will equal no chance vs LA.

As much as we all like the great start, let’s hope Tiago gets to play at least 15 tonight.
I care about winning @ Utah, I don’t give a damn if we lose by 50 at home vs lottery fodder.

neverthehero

I’m glad you picked up on Duncan saying that about Jefferson. I’m not sure if he should be taken back by those statements or as a good thing. Also, notice Duncan is more visibly upset about pundits not even considering the Spurs in the pre-season. If the interview with the Spurs big three, they talked about it as well. Perhaps, the Spurs are playing with a chip on their shoulder. I’m sure they’d be showing it with more emotion but they don’t want to get T’ed up.

quincyscott

Maybe the Duncan milestones are just making me feel a bit nostalgic, but what I love most about last night’s win was the grittiness of it. Utah does things that force the game to be physical and ugly. That’s because of Jerry Sloan, who was not on the bench last night but whose presence was all over that game, as it has been on every Jazz game for decades. But back to the nostalgic part, I was remembering the days before Popovich, when the Spurs would wilt against a team like Utah. Certainly the fortunes of the Spurs franchise hinge on lottery luck, but there are other important factors to it, and Gregg Popovich, who sometimes can drive us crazy with his decision-making, is the guy that is most responsible for giving this team a set of cajones. Pop loves to play Utah, loves the physicality of it, the toughness of it, the fire. Say what you want about the man, (hey, he will probably join you in the mockery), the Spurs went from being a skilled, soft team to being a franchise that is consistently eager for a dogfight. They won’t win every game or every championship. But they will fight like hell to the last buzzer with anybody. If you are wandering who to credit, look no further than Pop.

bduran

We’ve been beating the Dejuan Blair dead horse into the ground. I suggest we let Tiago speculation dominate this thread. Anything to avoid the fact that we’re 10-1.

Kevin

I’m sure BALLHOG has some thoughts on Tiago’s lack of playing time?

Hollywood Jones

The comment about RJ was odd. Perhaps last year RJ kept saying something to the effect of “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing in this offense?” Hard to say. RJ’s confidence seems good and I sense a good rapport with his teammates so let’s assume this is not a dig by Duncan. He’s a great teammate by all measures.

Bentley

10-1. 10-1. 10-1.

Amazing, and we are beating the good teams as well as the bad. Yeah there are still things we could wrok on, but still 10-1, I’ll take it anyway I get it.

I’m sure Tiago will get more playing time, but we have a bunch of guys playing well right now. So I’m content with whatever gets us the win

Hobson13

In my previous post when we beat Chicago, I tried to be as negative as possible to temper people’s expectations. However, thats getting tougher to do with each big win. I never would have imagined that we would be 10-1 to start the season. Hopefully we can shut down Cleveland and get ready for a big game against the Magic.

For the Blair lovers out there, he seemed to have an efficient game and he also kept Milsap from going off on us. Great overall effort from the Spurs! Now if we can just get some serious playing time for Splitter…

quincyscott

I went and watched that interview with Duncan, and I read those remarks very differently in context. Yes, he says something to the effect that Jefferson is giving the Spurs what they ask of him, but he also immediately follows that with saying that Jefferson is playing great. And he includes Jefferson in the discussion of himself, Ginobilli, and Parker, in effect talking about the Spurs’ Big Four and why better health and team cohesion have given them some early success. In other words, I don’t at all think Duncan is ragging on Jefferson. Rather, I think he is recognizing the importance of Jefferson’s contributions to their great start this season, and if anything he is praising Jefferson for changing his game from the ground up to help the Spurs win.

SPURZ ALL DAY

why did we let go of GEE and signed GREEN? why? they are like the same kind of players!? i dont get it!?

and letting go of that other point guard that is 6’6, dam i forgot his name, but now signed that white dude chris quin?

spurs must have something up there sleve or there just being stupid, but i do have a feeling they have something up there sleve.

Cruzan gold

It was awesome watching Tim hit the milestone, and just as good watching the Spurs keep their streak alive. And at 10-1, there is no way I’m jumping on the off-with-Pop’s-head bandwagon. Nonetheless, Splitter is no Mahimi, and I can’t figure out what the dude did to earn these stints on the pine.

NYC

You know, I’m really tired of people beating the Matt-Bonner-sucks horse to death. It’s so easy to just throw that statement out there without having to back it up with facts because no one ever calls anyone on it, but I for one am tired of hearing it all the damn time and am calling you haters out.

Can we get an article analyzing Bonner’s play, especially his defense? Because I suspect that he isn’t as bad as everyone believes. I’m no rocket seismologist (hi, Tim!), and I don’t know his stats off the top of my head, but I do know what I see with my eyes.

Watching the games, Bonner seems pretty average on defense to me. True: he has very limited athleticism. True: he has very limited speed and mobility. Matt Bonner is not the most skilled player when it comes to offense either–I grant you all of that. But neither is he horrendous. I see him hustle as best as he can given his limited physical prowess and b-ball skills. He looks to me to get his share of rebounds. Again, I don’t know the stats, but I dare say that he is probably average in pulling down rebounds for his size and position within the league.

He’s always in position–something that could not be said of one Ian Mahinmi–and he rotates properly. He can’t cover a lot of ground, but he tries. He never really blows his defensive assignments; i.e., he is fundamentally sound. He sets screens once in a while and is moderately effective in doing so. He hits his 3-pt shots more often than not and is vital to our offensive spacing. What’s so terrible about him?

The most important thing about Bonner is that he tries very hard. While his ceiling is low, he gives 100% every moment he is on the court. I would rather have Bonner over a lot of other guys playing in the NBA, and I would rather have a guy who applies 100% of his capabilities than a more capable player who doesn’t apply himself fully or who routinely takes plays/games off. The Spurs coaching staff recognizes this too, and that is why he is still here and getting plenty of minutes, while other flash-in-the-pans are not (see: Mahinmi, Ian; Elson, Francisco).

Matt Bonner is no Marcus Camby or even a Tyson Chandler. But Bonner wasn’t a lottery pick either, nor does he command a comparable salary. It’s unfair to expect that out of him. Yeah, he’s not great, but he’s adequate. And it’s unfair to constantly bash him without merit. He’s mediocre, and he’s average, but he’s NOT horrible.

And he’s our San Antonio player. So either put up (the hard stats that proves he is sooo horrendous), or shut up.

spursfanbayarea

@mikrobass3
I agree with your point on bringing splitter along slowly due to his summer play. But I disagree with him having DNP’s. Parker and Ginobilli broke down because they played international and were playing 30 minutes a game. Splitter is nowhere close to playing those kind of minutes. We need him to be developed for the playoffs and we need him to learn on the court. There has to be at least 10 minutes a game where splitter can play and get used to playing against the bigger players in the league. The best learning is on the job training. You can only learn so much watching from the bench.

Popovich is doing a good job with the team as the record suggests. But he is not maximizing all of the tools at his disposal. Im not asking him to play splitter 40 minutes. I just want him to actually develop a player for the playoffs. I don’t want another Ian fiasco.

manufan

Pop have to play Splitter, he is experienced player that needs a lot of playing time. Don’t tell me you can’t find 10-15 minutes a game and run couple of plays on ofense for him, just to go and get some confidence.
And Austin Toros are comlete failure. We just can’t develop any talent and that is directly connected to lack of playing time to new players. We don’t have anyone on the roster that can deny that.

manufan

You get rid of Gee,Jarells, and Temple and sign Quinn!? Remember Gist, Hairston, etc? No playing time for developing players. Come playoff time, Bonner is gonna start trowing bricks yet again, just watch.

http://www.sanantoniospurs.com SPURS FAN SINCE 89

SPURS NATION:
I heard Mark Jackson say that he talked to Mc Dyees before the Bulls game and Antonio told Mark that this would be his last season; so by default unless the Spurs draft another big Splitter will be relieving T.D., or starting next to him next season most surley. ( Unless of course of a lock out).
In my opinion the 4 biggest dissapointments this season have been……..
1. De Juan Blair’s offense, poor shot selection, defense & bad fouls, turnovers.
2. George Hill not playing up to his potential. Maybe he’s mad that he’s not starting like he did in the playoffs last year against Phoenix but put he just signed a big contract extension.
3. Tiago SPLINTER, I mean Splitter. If he’s really just a normal blue collar guy, a poor man’s Robert Parish and not the next T.D., then we need to get the best usage out of him at his position. You heard T.D. say last night the Spurs are ranked 15th in the league in defense, so eventually we could use that “blue collar guy” for defense and some offense to.
4. Gary Neal- He had one 15 point game and after that he’s been all down hill. He hardly has made any shots, especially 3’s after that game. James Anderson had been way more consistent, he was fitting great into the Spurs system, Pop loved him because he likes to play D, plus especially on 3’s (he was 10-20) = .500 before he got injured. When Anderson comes back expect Neal to hit the bench.
Great points SPURS NATION: Splitter needs to be ready for low post up teams that are big and long like L.A. etc… and especially for the playoffs. Hopefully that is Pop’s master plan. Honeslty all I care about is 1 thing, well actually 2 things. Beat L.A., and another ring for T.D. and the Spurs.
Also does anyone think, I know it’s a long way from now, that the Spurs will pick up anyone in the NBA, or bring up anyone from the D-league by the trade deadline?

http://www.sanantoniospurs.com SPURS FAN SINCE 89

Yes I agree we need Splitter fully developed for the playoffs. T.D. and Mc Dyees are not the defensive, and post up players they once were. And Blair is too undersized to fill that role. So unless Pop and Bufford have someone up there sleeves as far as a big, like picking up someone by the trade deadline or bringing someone up from the D-league, Splitter is the only option. Hopefully Pop knows that.
And playing Splitter for only 15 minutes a game doesn’t count as developing him, he’s just getting his feet wet.
BEAT L.A.

Dr. Love

Why the heck was Duncan in for the last minute? That was extremely reckless and unnecessary. He should have been pulled during that last timeout.

Dr. Love

Also recall that Duncan got off to a great start last year, but his performance gradually got worse and worse as the season wore on.

http://www.sanantoniospurs.com SPURS FAN SINCE 89

Good point Dr. Love. Plus I heard that Dyees will retire at the end of this season anyway. We will need another legitamit big to back up T.D or start next to him next season anyway. Not an undersized 6’7 Blair. Splinter will need to be fully developed and ready for L.A. in the playoffs anyway.
Just saying
BEAT L.A.

Nixiack

Duncan got off to a great start last year but there are two differences between last year and this year that I see:

1) The offense flowed through Duncan last year, requiring his usage to be extremely high. Due to him being one of the greatest of all time, he’s still able to do 20-10, 30-15 nights.. This year the offense is not going through him, and that saves a TON of wear and tear – it’s been mentioned a lot in other sites (and this one) about the fact that Duncan is only shooting like 3-7 and they win. Last year? They lose, and lose big.

2) As above – they are *not* using Duncan as the primary option this year – it’s Parker / Ginobili (I’m more worried about Ginobili keeping up the pace vs. Duncan) Also, if you see how they are positioning him they are leaving Blair as the Center position under the basket and leaving Duncan on the elbow or the top of the key, and he’s not typically driving it. This leaves him fresh for defense, and fresh for other things. His minutes are only at 30, which is right where it needs to be, and the last 5 games he’s only gone over 30 2x. (http://espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=215).

Bottom line – this is Duncan’s team, but it’s not. They aren’t having to use him, so he’s more Robinson than Duncan now, and I’m just fine with that.

http://www.sanantoniospurs.com SPURS FAN SINCE 89

Also does anyone know the deal with De Colo? If we already have him signed, we should bring him up. We could use another legit 3 point shooter since Anderson is out, and Neal and Hill have been struggling behind the arc anyway. Plus no one expected Bonner to be perfect behind the line all year anyway.
BEAT L.A.

Jim Henderson

SPURS FAN SINCE 89
November 20th, 2010 at 1:07 pm

“In my opinion the 4 biggest dissapointments this season have beenâ€¦â€¦..”

If Blair’s a disappointment to you it means your expectations are too high. He’s been an effective member of a starting unit that has started the season 10-1, a franchise record. How can you argue with that?

George Hill is a slow-burner. He heats up when it matters the most. I wouldn’t worry about him getting off to a slow start, not when we have Manu & TP in the back court.

“Tiago SPLINTER, I mean Splitter. If heâ€™s really just a normal blue collar guy, a poor manâ€™s Robert Parish and not the next T.D., then we need to get the best usage out of him at his position.”

Could you do me a favor and try not to repeatedly mention Splitter and Parish in the same sentence? It’s just too comical for words.

Gary Neal has been one of the biggest upside surprises on the team. He’s shooting 44% from 3-point land, and has been a significant spark off our bench. He did not have just one 15 pt. game. He had a 16 pt. game as well in game 2 against the LAC’s, shot 12 for 22 from three through the first 6 games (a higher % than Anderson after a similar # of attempts), and his per 36 line reads as follows:

15 ppg., 6.7 rpg., 2.4 apg., and 1.0 spg.

He needs to work on his consistency, but he’s a rookie. Give him some time, and tamp down the expectations.

We have 71 more games. Splitter will play when Pop deems it’s appropriate. Further, Splitter is not going to save us against the best front lines in the league. He will help, but he’s not going to be our savior. To expect that is unfair to Splitter.

Jim Henderson

SPURS FAN SINCE 89
November 20th, 2010 at 3:46 pm

“We will need another legitamit big to back up T.D or start next to him next season anyway. Not an undersized 6â€™7 Blair.”

Wrong. Splitter needs to work on all facets of his game, and make some difficult adjustments from his play in Europe to the NBA. This is unlikely to happen that quickly. Splitter needs to get to the point where he can be a fairly consistent force in the front court rotation first before we could even begin to confidently project him as a starter with TD some day. And I don’t think it will be easy to beat Blair out for that starting spot, this year or next year.

SPURS FAN SINCE 89
November 20th, 2010 at 3:58 pm

“….Neal and Hill have been struggling behind the arc anyway.”

Neal is not struggling from behind the arc. Shooting .438 from three is not “struggling”.

SpurredOn

That win in Utah was no steal. That was flat out taken, like most of the other Spurs wins in Utah the past decade. Spurs never trailed. Utah fans never had any momentum of energy to impact the game/refs which is nearly impossible to pull off.

Great win after being 0-4 vs Jazz last season. The improved defense and execution on offense show themselves most vs an opponent such as the Jazz.

Bankshot21

Ditto on the Bonner post. He does what he does and doesn’t go outside of that. If he were shooting reckless shots and getting 30 dropped on him then I’d understand the concern. I watched last nights game and didn’t realize Splitter’s absence until I woke up this morning. Those of you having fits about his DNP’s need to get over it. Tiago has to deal with it like everyone else who get’s DNP’s. He’ll be ok. The world will not end. He’ll get his time and be ok.

http://www.sanantoniospurs.com SPURS FAN SINCE 89

To Jim Henderson:
Great points, but how will Splitter be able to work on all “facets”of his game by only playing 15 minutes a game. To me in my opinion that is not enough palying time for him to develope.
Also we will see how well Blair does against L..A. on December 28th. Still he is way to undersized to be a truecenter at 6’7. Are you telling me that Blair will match up with Bynum when he comes back? No way. That would be a job for Splitter if he’s developed by then Because Timmy will have his hands full with Gasol.

http://www.sanantoniospurs.com SPURS FAN SINCE 89

Jim Henderson:
Do u know when the Spurs are going to bring up De colo? Just wondering if u heard anything. I heard he was great shooter plus he’s good behind the arc on 3’s. With a possible, more than likely lock out next season we should put all our chips on the table this year.

http://www.sanantoniospurs.com SPURS FAN SINCE 89

Jim Henderson:
Anderson, a rookie out of Oklahoma State, is averaging 7.0 points, 1.5 assists and 1.0 rebound in 17.7 minutes in six games. He is shooting .424 (14-for-33) from the field and .500 (10-for-20) from three-point territory.
Just saying Anderson was shooting better.

http://www.sanantoniospurs.com SPURS FAN SINCE 89

than Neal.

Jim Henderson

SPURS FAN SINCE 89
November 20th, 2010 at 4:44 pm

“To me in my opinion that is not enough palying time for him to develope.”

Splitter will need playing time, but we do have 71 more games. No need to panic yet. Pop knows what he’s doing on this.

“Still he is way to undersized to be a truecenter at 6â€™7.”

Blair is never going to be a true center. He’s on a long-term plan to become a PF. Duncan on the other hand will be used as more and as a center in the coming years. And with the Spurs, those two positions are unusually interchangeable. Also, you make too much of Blair’s height. You miss the fact that he’s a strong, fairly athletic 265 lbs. with a decent vertical leap, and a 7’2″ wingspan. A player’s reach with his hands is more important than how high his head is off the ground. With or without Splitter, we will still have our hands full with LA’s front line. They’re just very long and talented in that area.

SPURS FAN SINCE 89
November 20th, 2010 at 4:51 pm

I really don’t know De Colo’s status. I do know that we really don’t need him right now. We have plenty of guards, and we’re leading the league in 3-point shooting right now as it is. Plus we have enough young guys on our team right now. We don’t need another.

SPURS FAN SINCE 89
November 20th, 2010 at 4:54 pm

“He is shooting .424 (14-for-33) from the field and .500 (10-for-20) from three-point territory. Just saying Anderson was shooting better.”

Actually, through the same number or more shots, Neal was shooting better (12-22 – .545 through the 1st 6 games)

Jim Henderson

NYC
November 20th, 2010 at 11:30 am

I agree with much of what you said about Bonner. Despite Bonner’s lack of athleticism, he clearly does not “suck” as a role player. Anybody that suggests that he does has either not seen him play enough, or does not have a good handle on the game.

I won’t take the time to show you the stats, but where Bonner has proven less valuable is in the playoffs. And I don’t think that is something that can be fixed. His game and limitations do not really suit the higher intensity of the playoffs. That is my main concern with Bonner. I think we could use a different type of big that can help us more in the playoffs. In fact I would sign Dampier right now.

SPURZ ALL DAY
November 20th, 2010 at 11:01 am

“why did we let go of GEE and signed GREEN? why? they are like the same kind of players!? i dont get it!?”

No they’re not. Green can defend, Gee cannot.

spursfanbayarea

@spursfansince 89
George hill has not signed a big extension. The team has only exercised his option for another year. He will be due for a big extension in the near future.

rob

SPURS FAN SINCE 89

“4. Gary Neal- He had one 15 point game and after that heâ€™s been all down hill. He hardly has made any shots, especially 3â€²s after that game. James Anderson had been way more consistent, he was fitting great into the Spurs system, Pop loved him because he likes to play D, plus especially on 3â€²s (he was 10-20) = .500 before he got injured. When Anderson comes back expect Neal to hit the bench.”

Neal isn’t playing as bad as your making it sound. Being in a position he has never played is part of the issues. But is doing a decent job at doing it.

I’ve seen Neal get passed up on wide open attempts in these last two games. Perhaps it’s the plan or perhaps some players are being selfish…but Neal is a good catch and shoot player. Those types need the ball in their hand more than just a few plays in a game where they are 5th option when the shot clock is running down and all other “options” have been closed.

However…you are probably correct when Anderson gets to come back. There won’t be enough minutes to divide amongst Ginobili, Jefferson, Hill, Parker, and Anderson for Neal to get the same amount of playing time he’s getting now.

Not unless Neal plays some PG or the team is needing an infusion of 3 point shooting if others are having a bad night.

Regardless. The experience has been great for Neal and more importantly…Neal playing so far hasn’t been hurting the Spurs to the point they have been loosing. And in one game of note was probably the reason they won.